Mercury Sable Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 100 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the Mercury Sable across 11 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (21). The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (72% of reports).
- 100seat belts complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 14mention an injury
- 4related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 72 of 100 complaints (72%)
- Front passenger: mentioned in 11 of 100 complaints (11%)
- Consumer states: mentioned in 6 of 100 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 34 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 100 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 14 an injury.
Mercury Sable seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Sable | 1 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2004 Sable | 3 | 6% | 142,500 |
| 2003 Sable | 5 | 2% | 60,000 |
| 2002 Sable | 3 | 1% | 89,000 |
| 2001 Sable | 12 | 3% | 52,150 |
| 2000 Sable | 12 | 3% | 59,000 |
| 1999 Sable | 20 | 8% | 74,800 |
| 1998 Sable | 9 | 5% | 92,000 |
| 1997 Sable | 21 | 9% | 70,000 |
| 1996 Sable | 10 | 3% | 166,000 |
| 1995 Sable | 4 | 1% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Model years: 2001
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger cars. The seat belt buckle tongue may not fully eject from the buckle assembly when the release button is pushed slowly. This condition could also result in a partial latch of the tongue in the buckle.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the vehicle occupant may not be properly restrained, possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and right front passenger seat belt buckles. Owner notification began may 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 2001
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The child safety seat anchor latch (iso-fix anchor) fasteners do not have adequate residual torque. The anchors are secured to the floor pan with a reinforcement plate that has two studs that extend upward through the floor pan and the iso-fix anchor. The sealer on the floor pan could cause a soft joint and, even if the nuts are properly torqued, road vibrations could cause the nut to work its way completely off the stud.
Risk: The anchor may not hold the child safety seat in position during an accident, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant of the child safety seat.
Fix: Dealers will remove and re-install the bracket nut using a torque retention material (red loctite). Owner notification began september 11, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 1999
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The seat belt retractor may have a pin shaft in the switchable elr/alr mechanism that is incorrectly formed. In some circumstances, the switching mechanism could become nonfunctional, preventing the seat belt webbing from being extracted from the retractor. It is also possible that malfunction of the mechanism could prevent the belt from being switched into the alr mode. The elr mechanism is not affected by this condition.
Risk: If the mechanism malfunctions and does not allow the webbing to be extracted, the lap and shoulder belt could not be worn by a vehicle occupant. In the event that the mechanism does not allow the alr mode to be engaged, the operator may be unable to properly install a child seat in that seating position.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the lap and shoulder belt assemblies. Assemblies with julian date codes of 200 through 223 are suspect and will be replaced.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 1998, 1999
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual seat tracks. The front seat belt buckle attaching stud may have been improperly heat treated. This heat treatment may have resulted in cracks developing in the stud.
Risk: If the stud is cracked, in the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle mounting bracket and stud assembly.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 mercury sable. While driving 35 mph, another vehicle collided with the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt did not lock, which forced the contact to strike the steering wheel during the crash. The contact sustained a concussion, back, and…
No accident, but the seat belt on the driver's side has started "latching" only on sporadic occasions. It doesn't latch more times than it does latch. The are times when you have successfully latched the seatbelt, it will come unlatch end while the car is moving. This has now been occurring for…
The driver side, three point seat belt assembly comes unlatched while the vehicle is in motion. This is even after the belt tongue is in place, you hear a click from the latch closing and locking and the belt has been pulled on to test the connection. I took it to the dealership today and the…
The drivers seat belt does not latch (lock) properly. The belt has on numerous occasions became unfastened when driving. The drivers belt also does not retract after use. *js
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercury sable. The contact stated that the passenger seat belt does not retract or properly secure the passenger. The manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in (nhtsa campaign id number: 99v250000 seat belts: front: anchorage); the vehicle was not repaired…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mercury Sables have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 100 owner complaints about seat belts for the Mercury Sable. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mercury Sable seat belts?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the Mercury Sable?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 72 of 100 complaints, followed by “front passenger” (11).
Other Mercury Sable problems
See all Mercury Sable problems.